²³ that ^(A)I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

¹⁶ But he said, ^(A)“As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, ^(B)I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

⁹ And when I was with you and was ^(A)in need, ^(B)I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia ^(C)supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain ^(D)from burdening you in any way. ^10 (E)As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine ^(F)will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ And why? ^(G)Because I do not love you? ^(H)God knows I do!

¹² And what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(I)in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.

¹⁵ The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.

^16 (A)Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also ^(B)gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.

⁵ Keep your life ^(A)free from love of money, and ^(B)be content with what you have, for he has said, ^(C)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

¹⁴ Here ^(A)for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for ^(B)I seek not what is yours but you. For ^(C)children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but ^(D)parents for their children.

^20 (A)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. ^(B)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

⁸ And the man of God said to the king, ^(A)“If you give me half your house, ^(B)I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place,